A personal account from Charles Hamelin - His experience with psychological distress in adolescence

“I wanted to disappear.” 

This was Charles Hamelin’s experience as a teenager, long before the medals, podiums, and victories. 

Extremely shy, he often felt like an outsider unable to find his place. At school, interactions were difficult and the words to express what he was feeling just wouldn’t come. Today, he recognizes that he was going through a period of psychological distress. 

Sports became a refuge. But above all, he had a critical safety net: parents who were there, coaches who were attentive, and adults who listened. 

His story reminds us that the mental health of young people is sometimes fragile, and the challenges they face are not always visible. 

If Youth in Mind Foundation had run a workshop at his school, it might have helped him put into words what he was going through and understand sooner what was going on. 

Discover his emotional story. 👇